A band plays on the Kiley Garden stage during Gasparilla Music Festival 2022. Photo: Ben Montgomery/Axios
Tampa's homegrown Gasparilla Music Festival has been saved.
Driving the news: Organizers announced Thursday that GMF will return to downtown Tampa's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on April 29 and 30, and early bird tickets go on sale Friday at 10am.
Why it matters: Fans had worried the decade-old music festival would be canceled after the city found structural issues under the elevated Kiley Garden plaza at the base of Rivergate Tower, where GMF has placed two stages in years past.
Flashback: The city told GMF earlier this year that the festival would not be allowed to use the space due to the "water intrusion issues," forcing organizers to postpone the festival originally slated for late February.
- GMF had assured fans they were working on an alternative plan.
The latest: The Kiley Garden closure has "opened up some new opportunities to expand our footprint and create some exciting new experiences for GMF 2023," organizers said in an emailed statement.
- Curtis Hixon Park will again host the festival's main stage, and additional stages will be added downtown nearby, Creative Loafing reports.
What to watch: Festival organizers promise more details in the coming weeks.
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